Ski boot box



K. E. JOHNS SKI BOOT BOX Oct. 5, 1965 Filed May 27, 1963 IN VEN TOR. A [A/T fDM/V 00/0115 A 7 OP/M545 United States Patent 3,209,870 SKI BOOT BOX Kent Edwin Johns, 401 Crippen St., Cadillac, Mich. Filed May 27, 1963, Ser. No. 283,234

4 Claims. (Cl. 190-60) This invention relates to an article of luggage for skiing enthusiasts, and more particularly to a carrier and storage box for skiing items for necessity which includes means for rigidly mounting a pair of ski boots thereupon.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a hand transportable piece of luggage in which may be retained all related pieces of equipment such as ski goggles, ski gloves or mitts, ski wax, and all items which need to be kept in an easily accessible location.

Another object of this invention is to provide a surface on which a ski-boot may be clamped at the heel and the toe so that the sole of the ski-boot will not become curled or otherwise deformed, thereby making it diflicult or impossible to fit the boot into the safety bindings on the ski clamp.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a means of storing ski-boots, ski-mitts and gloves, ski wax, ski goggles, and all equipment relating to skiing that is not to be used during the off-season.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed out in the claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the general shape of the invention and the manner in which skiboots are clamped upon it for storage and transportation.

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the invention; and

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the invention.

Basically, this invention involves an article of luggage which in its preferred embodiment has four side elements, a top end, and a bottom end, all of which are preferably made of polished wood, but which may be made of any sheet or strap material if so desired. A suitable handle is attached to the top end, so that the luggage may readily be carried. A portion of one of the sides is mount ed by hinges and is movable between an open and a closed position, thereby affording access into the interior of the luggage enclosure. Also, adjustable clamps are attached to two of the fixed sides, so that the pair of ski boots may be securely mounted thereupon, in a position in which their soles are held fiat against the surface of the associated side member.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the fignres, four sides 4, 6, 8, and 10, a top 12 and a bottom (not shown) are joined or otherwise structurally as sociated .in a known manner, so as to form an enclosure or box 2. An opening 16 is cut in the front side 4 of the box or enclosure 2. A portion of the front side 4 will thus form a door 18, which is held in place within the opening 16 by a hinge or hinges. The door 18 is held closed by conventional latch means 20. A handle 22 is attached to the top 12 of the enclosure 2, so that the same may be easily carried.

In order to provide a secure mount for each of a pair of ski boots such as 22 and 24, I attach to each of two of the sides such as 6 and 8 an adjustable clamp means. Each of the clamps includes a heel-mounting portion such as 30 and 30, which is preferably immovably mounted to the associated side, and a toe-mounting portion such as 32 and 32'. The toe-mounting portions are preferably made adjustable relative to the heel-mounting portions by forming a slot such as 34 in each of the sides 6 and 8, and attaching one of the toe-mounting portions therein by means of a threaded member such as 36 and a wing nut 38. The threaded member has a head (not shown) which is sufficiently large so as to prevent its being drawn through the slot 34, whereas the threaded body of the member 36 is small enough to permit the same to be slid longitudinally within the slot.

It should here be pointed out that both the heel-mount ing portions 30 and 30 and the .toe-mounting portions 32 and 32' are provided with gripping flanges 300, 300', 320, and 320, respectively. These flanges are formed to grip the upper surfaces of the ski boot sole in the manner indicated in FIG. 1, so that when a boot is mounted upon the sides 6 and 8 and the wing nut 38 is tightened down upon the threaded member 36, the sole of the boot will be drawn fiat against the side of the box, thereby preventing the sole from becoming curled and otherwise deformed with time so that the boots can no longer be locked into the safety bindings on the ski.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An article of luggage for skiers, comprising: an enclosure having structurally associated side elements and at least one end; and separate ski boot clamp means on two opposite ones of said side elements; each of said clamp means including two clamping elements one near the top of said side elements and the other near the bottom for clampingly mounting ski boots thereupon by engaging the toe and heel of each of said boots; and a carrying means extending above the top edges of said side elements.

2. An article of luggage for skiers, comprising: an enclosure having structurally associated side elements and at least one end element, a portion of at least one of said elements being movable between an open and a closed position so as .to provide an access into said enclosure; and separate ski boot clamp means attached to opposite ones of said side elements for mounting ski boots thereupon, each of said clamp means including two clamping elements one near the top of said opposite side elements and the other near the bottom for engaging the toe and heel of each of said boots and a carrying means extending above the top edges of said side elements.

3. An article of luggage for skiers, comprising: an enclosure having structurally associated side elements and two end elements, a portion of one of said side elements being movable between an open and a closed position so as to provide an access into said enclosure; and a pair of adjustable clamps, means each of which serve to mount a ski boot upon said enclosure by engaging the toe and heel portions of the sole of the boot, each one of said clamps being attached to the outer surfaces of opposite ones of the enclosure side elements; each of said clamp means including two clamping elements one near the top of said opposite side elements and the other near the bottom; and a carrying means extending above the top edges of said side elements.

4. An article of luggage for skiers, comprising: an en closure formed by four side elements, two opposite ones of which are inclined upwardly toward each other, the other two side elements extending between the inclined side elements; a top end and bottom end; one of said References Cited by the Examiner other two side elements having an access opening with UNITED STATES PATENTS a closure means thereon so as to provide access into said 109,563 11/70 Walton enclosure; a pair of boot clamp means, one clam-p means 789,782 5/05 Yates 190 16 on each of the outer surfaces of said inclined sides; each 5 2 453 11 1 49 Titus 7 of said clamp means including tWo clamping elements 2,481,565 9/49 Boretz 1905l one near the top of said inclined side elements and the 2,566,656 9/ 51 David 211-37 other near the bottom for engaging the toe and heel of 2,781,113 2/57 Seaman 2,923,024 2/60 Weaver 206-45.17

a skiers boot; and a handle means on the top end for 10 carrying Said article of luggage FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN ARTICLE OF LUGGAGE FOR SKIERS, COMPRISING: AN ENCLOSURE HAVING STRUCTURALLY ASSOCIATED SIDE ELEMENTS AND AT LEAST ONE END; AND SEPARATE SKI BOOT CLAMP MEANS ON TWO OPPOSITE ONES OF SAID SIDE ELEMENTS; EACH OF SAID CLAMP MEANS INCLUDING TWO CLAMPING ELEMENTS ONE NEAR THE TOP OF SAID SIDE ELEMENTS AND THE OTHER NEAR THE BOTTOM FOR CLAMPINGLY MOUNTING SKI BOOTS THEREUPON BY ENGAGING THE TOE AND HEEL OF EACH OF SAID BOOTS; AND A CARRYING MEANS EXTENDING ABOVE THE TOP EDGES OF SAID SIDE ELEMENTS. 